Back to School Beauty Basics

The other day I had a texting conversation with my best friend that read like this:

Best Friend: College shopping is so stressful. We’re at the Container Store.

Me: But so fun. But doesn’t it make you want to go back?

Best Friend: Kind of. Yes.

(one hour later)

Best Friend: I’m crying in Target.

We’re fast approaching September and my best friend’s sister is headed off to her freshman year in college. Many of us are in the same boat and we’re panicked, wondering if we’ve done all that we can to prepare our younger protégés for the best, most challenging, amazing, and scary years of their lives. But beyond the rainbow of hangers and storage boxes at the Container Store and the aisles of shower caddy essentials and dorm-room non-perishable food at Target, I find myself thinking of final pieces of advice we can share with the younger girls. I’ll steer clear of the heavy stuff, like “These are the best years of your life” or “Don’t make the same mistake your big brother did,” and instead stick to the basics. Beauty basics, that is.

Here are back-to-school beauty tips that many of us have benefited from in the past (and some of us wish we had known at the time). These are cheap and easy-to-find essentials that any college gal will be glad she has once she arrives at the dorms.

SweetLemon-BacktoSchoolBeauty

Makeup Removing Wipes

Keep makeup removing wipes in your nightstand because you will go to sleep without removing your makeup one night and you will regret it later. Just read this article that exposes what happens when you sleep with your makeup on. Fascinating. My favorite makeup removing wipes are Ole Henriksen’s Truth to Go Vitamin C Wipes ($15). I mentioned these in my Stay Glam While Jet-Setting post, and I’m sure I will mention them again in the future. Not only do these wipes remove dirt, grime and makeup but they provide extra moisture to brighten and firm your skin after a night out.

Dry Shampoo

For those mornings that you sleep through your alarm and need to make it across campus in 3 minutes—sans shower—a quick spray of dry shampoo will have you ready in no time. Pssssst Instant Dry Shampoo is cheap ($5.99), smells great, and can fit in your purse for on-the-go use.

Masks

Masks are not only great for your skin, but they’re fun to share and a perfect excuse for a girls night in. There are two cheap and effective products on the market right now that people love. The ($5.29) is a DIY mask that you can mix with either water or apple cider vinegar. This mask managed to fly under the radar for a while, but now a ton of beauty websites are raving about its benefits. The runner-up is the Mint Julep Masque ($3.99), a good choice for anyone who suffers from acne breakouts, since this product is designed to dry up acne and blackheads.

Eye Cream

Now is a great time to start an anti-aging regimen if you haven’t already! A simple, trusted eye cream to start with is Clinique All About Eyes. This is a lightweight cream designed to reduce eye puffiness and dark circles, while also combating fine lines and wrinkles overtime.

As a side note, if you can manage to splurge for a Clarisonic, this tool is a skin saver and a valuable investment. Not convinced? Check out the 800+ glowing reviews on MakeupAlley. Shop on Skinstore.com for free shipping and use the code NEW20 to save 20% at checkout. So while the Clarisonic does not fit into the “cheap” category, these discounts certainly help the cause.